This invention provides a feed apparatus and method for feeding objects in such a way that they are arranged into one or more moving streams. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to the feeding of objects in ore sorting equipment.
In a known type of ore sorting equipment, ore rocks must be presented to scanning apparatus in one or more moving streams in which the individual rocks are spaced apart. The scanning apparatus determines the characteristic of the individual objects which are then sorted according to those characteristics while moving in the streams. In such equipment the speed and relative disposition of the rocks in the various streams must not vary and the speed of the rocks must be quite high in order to achieve high sorting rates. Various means have been proposed for depositing the rocks on a fast moving feed belt but difficulties have been experienced in achieving satisfactory spacing between successive rocks and in stabilizing the rocks so that they do not move about on the belt. The present invention has enabled these difficulties to be overcome.